


Purr-fect

by QueerQuaking



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Animal Shelter, Cat!Selina Kyle, Don't Ask, Fluff, Honestly it's all just fluff, M/M, Pre-spray!Jeremiah, Soft!Jeremiah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 18:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17533823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueerQuaking/pseuds/QueerQuaking
Summary: If Bruce knew that adopting a cat would lead to him meeting the adorable not-quite-volunteer that's there almost every day, he would have done it years ago.Also known as the Animal Shelter/Pet Adoption fic that no one asked for.





	Purr-fect

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo... Many people have been writing these adorable Wayleska AUs, and I haven't written in a very long time, so here... It's really random and really short, but I hope you enjoy anyways.
> 
> (P.S. I got some inspiration from this work, you should totally check it out if you haven't already, it's amazing,,, https://archiveofourown.org/works/17515577)
> 
> (P.P.S. This was super rushed and barely edited because I wanted to get it out before tonight's episode, sorry in advance for any and all mistakes)

Bruce Wayne, billionaire and owner of the very successful Wayne Enterprises, was most certainly not lonely…

...Okay, maybe he was just little bit lonely. Just kind of, really.

That being said, it shouldn’t have been a surprise when Alfred very gently suggested that maybe Bruce should get a pet- namely, a cat. Since cats aren’t messy or overly dependent, it wouldn’t be too big of a responsibility, and really, Master B, you need to stop moping around. 

Of course Bruce couldn’t argue with that logic, he really couldn’t even try, so he found himself anxiously standing before the heavy wooden door that separated him from the hundreds of adorable, and, in some cases, lethal, stray animals that called Gotham Animal Control and Shelter their temporary home. After an unnecessarily deep breath and a moment of mental reprimanding, Bruce pushed the substantial door open with a faint jingle; comically animal-shaped bells dangling above to notify the staff of his presence. 

A young woman stood at the reception desk. Her hair was pulled into an almost gaudy bun atop her head, and her face was adorned with makeup that was blatantly too pale for her complexion. 

“Welcome to Gotham Animal Control and Shelter! What can I do for’ya today?” Though her words were basic, they were spoken with such friendly enthusiasm and such an unidentifiable accent that Bruce had to take a moment to remind himself where he was and what he was doing there, instead of standing in confused silence.

“I’m thinking about adopting a cat?” His tone came out as more questioning, and dammit, he was supposed to be powerful, and commanding, and-

“Ah! Mister J can help you with that! Here, here, follow me.” Her words were accompanied with enthusiastic hand gestures and a smile that was, quite frankly, too wide for such a request. 

Bruce planted a friendly smile on his face, following the woman through the echoing halls that were filled with the sounds of excitable dogs and what sounded like a giant fan. They walked down the winding hallway for what felt like miles, before they finally reached a section of hall with a pine door and the words ‘Cat Corner’ painted into a vivid sign protruding from the wall. The woman whom Bruce still didn’t know the name of opened the door and happily ushered him inside. 

“Jeremiah, there’s someone here, says he wants a cat!” She said in tone much too loud for the small room, and, though there was no one in sight, a shaky, slightly-monotone voice emanated from behind a worn purple couch. 

“Okay… Um, hang on.” Bruce heard a noise that was not unlike dropping a baseball to the ground, which was quickly accompanied by a soft gasp, and a hushed ‘Sorry!’. A tuft of slightly ruffled red hair appeared from behind the couch, and then the man stood, still facing away from them. He self-consciously dusted off his clothes, smoothed a hand through his hair, and turned around to face them with a sheepish smile. 

Bruce felt his breath catch in his throat. He was around Bruce’s age, maybe nineteen or twenty, lithe and tall, with a face that Bruce totally didn’t compare to an angel- he would never be that cheesy- and to top it all off, cute thick-rimmed glasses adorned his bright green eyes.

“-looking for?” Bruce realized very belatedly that this ‘Jeremiah’ was talking to him, and couldn’t help the faint color that splotched his cheeks. 

“I- Sorry, can you repeat that?” Bruce asked with a sheepish smile of his own.

“What kind of cat are you looking for?” The man asked again; his face also seemed to be lightly dusted in blush, but that could just be because it was slightly too warm in the building. 

“I’m not really sure, maybe one that’s more low-maintenance?” He felt kind of stupid voicing that, saying that most cats were low-maintenance, but he couldn’t take it back now.

Bruce could have sworn that those entrancing green eyes glinted just slightly, before he turned around, apparently scanning the room for a particular victim. Bruce inched towards him slightly, watching as Jeremiah’s face lit up and he quickly approached one of the many perches that were scattered among the walls of the room. Bruce barely registered the door behind him being opened and closed as receptionist slipped out in what he assumed was an uncharacteristically discrete fashion. Instead, Bruce’s attention was focused inside the perch. Curled up in a corner, nose tucked into the plush, carpeted interior, laid a small tortoiseshell kitten. Jeremiah seemingly hesitated for a moment before gently picking the cat up and offering it to Bruce. 

“She just arrived a couple of days ago. The animal control team found her in an alleyway. We assume that her mother abandoned her. She sleeps a lot, as most cats do, but she’s remarkably independant for a kitten.” The red-head rambles, carding his fingers through the soft, multi-colored fur of the now-slightly-awake cat. He stepped closer to Bruce in what was most likely an offering without having to jostle the kitten too much.

Bruce gently edged her out of Jeremiah’s arms, trying to ignore how he accidently brushed his fingertips against cool, pale skin. He carefully held the cat close as it stretched its tiny paws and looked up at him with huge, curious-yet-bleary green eyes. 

“What’s her name?” Bruce asked absentmindedly, enthralled by the slow blinking and wide yawn the kitten gave him.

“Selina.” Came the quiet response.

Bruce looked up to see Jeremiah staring at him with an odd expression on his face. His pupils were slightly blown, and his lips were curved into a small, soft smile. The second he noticed Bruce watching him, he cleared his throat almost compulsively. 

“So… Um, do you like her?” His voice was pitched slightly differently than before; less monotone, and a slightly panicked edge to it. 

Bruce took a second too long by most standards to remove his focus from Jeremiah, but when he looked down and met the kitten’s eyes, he decided that yes, she’s pretty okay. And if his mind whispered that he would much rather have Jeremiah cuddled against him, then, well, that was his business and no one else’s. 

“Yeah, she’s pretty adorable.” Bruce said with a slight smile. But you’re more adorable. His mind unhelpfully supplied, and Bruce felt his cheeks warm a bit. 

Though it was dumb, and slightly impulsive, Bruce decided that he might as well attempt polite conversation with Jeremiah; you know, for science. 

“So, how long have you worked here?” Bruce started lamely, still stroking the small kitten against him. 

“Oh, I, uh- I actually don’t work here. Not literally, at least. I’m an inventor, though I’m pretty sure that Ecco has me down as a volunteer because I’m here so frequently.” Ecco? The receptionist, probably. It took a moment for Bruce to realize what this also meant. 

“I- I’m so sorry for taking up your time, I can hurry up, um, thank you for your help.” It was Bruce’s turn to be panicked, and Jeremiah looked slightly startled. 

“No, no, I’m happy to help you, I mean, Ecco sent you to me for some reason, right?” Jeremiah put on a smile that was ridiculously charming, especially for how nervous he looked given the circumstances, and Bruce forgot how to breathe for a moment. 

“Okay… Thank you very much.” Bruce seemed to be smiling way too much today, and he was beginning to get worried that his face may freeze in such an absurd expression; that would really throw Alfred off for a few minutes, God forbid he look happy.

Jeremiah didn’t say anything, instead ducking his head slightly in humble embarrassment; the gesture was so unabashedly cute that Bruce was sure that his heart was going to implode. And if it had, he probably wouldn’t have even noticed. 

Bruce took a few more moments to appreciate the softness of Selina’s fur and the gentle rumbling of her purr, before he lifted his gaze back up to see Jeremiah nervously wringing his fingers together. 

“Yeah, I’ll take her.” Was all Bruce had to say to have Jeremiah’s anxiety seemingly melt away only to be replaced by giddiness. 

“Really? Oh, that’s great! I’ll go get the paperwork, and Ecco, and, um, I’ll be right back!” He began an excited walk-skip away, before he apparently slipped on a misplaced cat toy. He fell backwards slightly, making a sound that Bruce definitely didn’t classify as adorable, and Bruce had to step forward with an extended arm against the center of his back to steady him. 

The embarrassed chuckle that tumbled from his lips accompanied with the meek ‘Thank you.’ made Bruce’s day one of the brightest that he had experienced in a long time. 

Within what couldn’t have been more than three minutes, Bruce heard two voices from the hallway. It wasn’t that he was eavesdropping- really, he wasn’t- they were just so loud.

“-don’t normally help customers.” That sounded very much like Jeremiah’s voice, with a slightly more whiny tone than before. 

“Y’looked like you could use a cute boy to brighten your day.” This one was easy to identify, it was definitely the receptionist’s strange accent.

“Yeah, but-” Came the whiny start to another sentence, before he heard the receptionist shush him, and what sounded uncannily like an indignant huff. 

The door swung open, and the receptionist- Ecco- trotted in with a wide smile. An obviously sulky Jeremiah wasn’t far behind her, his head lowered, and his hands tucked into his front pockets. 

“Aww, you picked Selina! Y’know, she was always my favorite!” The receptionist started, and Bruce remembered that the kitten was brought in only a couple of days ago. Before he could blik, she was invading Bruce’s space to place a kiss to the kitten’s head and ruffling her fur. 

“I’ll miss you!” She crooned to the prominently indifferent kitten. 

The receptionist then seemed to remember something, and thrusted a stack of paper, along with a black pen into his available hand. Bruce paused for a moment, trying to decide what to do with the kitten while he filled out the paperwork. He cautiously approached Jeremiah, watching as he jumped slightly when he noticed how close Bruce had gotten to him in a span of about five seconds. 

“I thought you might wanna say goodbye?” He carefully offered the kitten to the bashful male, absolutely loving the smile that graced his features. 

“I- Sure.” He looked surprised, but reached out anyways, accepting the cat like the most precious of gifts. Bruce decided to try his luck and winked at him, watching the blush return full-force. 

Bruce went through and signed every bit of paperwork, nibbling the tip of the pen while reading carefully. Every once in a while, he would look up and catch Jeremiah’s eye before the redhead would quickly look away. After a dead-silent ten minutes, Bruce let out a small exhale, clicking the end of the pen victoriously. 

“Done.” He gleefully announced, shuffling the contracts and statements together into a neat pile. 

He watched from the corner of his eye as Ecco motioned at the door for Jeremiah to do… whatever it was that she wanted him to do, and Jeremiah nodded. He slid the papers from Bruce’s hand, and exited the room with the cat cradled in one arm and the papers in the other. From what Bruce had seen, Jeremiah seemed to be quite clumsy; he hoped he could make it down the hallway unscathed. 

Meanwhile, Bruce was left alone with the receptionist, whom Bruce hadn’t even noticed was building a tower made entirely from cat toys until that exact instance. As soon as Jeremiah’s slightly-dragging footsteps disappeared, she looked up with a wide, mischievous grin. 

“So, wha’dya think of him?”

“Of who? The cat? I like her.” Bruce was confused a bit, if this was her favorite cat, then why didn’t she know that it was a female?

The receptionist laughed, an ominously echoing sound, her eyes taking a mildly manic glint that may have been there all along if Bruce had only paid enough attention. 

“Not the cat, silly! What did’ya think ‘bout Jeremiah?” She said it like it was the most obvious thing to ask a customer. Still, Bruce sputtered and his cheeks reddened even more, and God, why did he let Alfred talk him into this? 

“He- He seemed nice.” Bruce’s voice betrayed him by cracking in almost every word, and he was almost positive that he looked just as flustered as he felt. 

The blonde merely chuckled, a knowing glint in her irises. She made an exuberant motion with her arm, holding the door for Bruce before happily skipping past him to lead them back to the main reception area. 

Jeremiah was standing against the desk, his glasses sliding slightly down his nose as he squinted to fill out the paperwork that was probably not his responsibility- actually, none of this was his responsibility, so why was he doing it? A wooden box with a cute cartoon cat sprawled on the side and handles was sat at his feet. Bruce watched his shoulders tense ever-so-slightly as they got closer. 

“Aww, Puddin’, I could have done that! You’re so sweet!” The receptionist almost shouted as they approached, and Bruce could have sworn Jeremiah grimaced just slightly. 

Bruce paid up-front, throwing a hundred-dollar bill into the tip jar, and giving much more than necessary as a donation. He profusely waved at both of them as he carefully balanced the box and a generously thrown-in bag of toys and food in his arms. He made sure to smile extra wide at Jeremiah as he left, knowing that he would probably come back soon under the guise of wanting another cat. At this pace, he would grow old and alone in his mansion with only fifty cats to keep him company. 

When Bruce arrived home, he managed to single-handedly set up a room for Selina, before carefully opening up the cardboard box and pulling her out of the confinement. Upon seeing her up-close, he noticed that a sleek, black collar now adorned her neck, and a shiny, silver name tag hung from it with her name elegantly etched into the metal. 

It took until Bruce put her down, however, to notice the small slip of paper tucked into the side. He shakily untucked it and unfolded the creases. 

‘Bruce,’ It read. ‘Thank you so much for giving Selina the loving home she deserves, she’s very lucky to have you as her new owner. This may be off-handed, but would you like to get coffee sometime? If not, I understand, but please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about proper cat care.’ The note also looked like something else was about to be written before it was sloppily scribbled out. On the bottom, it was signed, and a phone number was scrawled along the left corner. Bruce gaped down at it for a moment, before an absolutely elated smile appeared on his face. 

Between the two absolutely adorable beings he had met today, Bruce had a feeling that he wouldn’t be lonely again for a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> If it wasn't obvious from the quality, I truly haven't written in almost a year... That being said, please leave criticism below if you'd like. Thank you for reading!


End file.
